What’s in a Name?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
William Shakespeare
In other words, Shakespeare answers this question: Nothing essential. A rose, he says, would smell as sweet by any other name. Shakespeare is pointing out that we give more importance to the name than the individual personality and beauty of the rose.
Everyone is given a name. Why? Everything is called by name. Why? A name acts as a means of recognition, but if we look at names through the eyes of trade and business, then it’s all about communication and keeping track.
But I am more than just a name, in fact, the name relates to the body and the roles that I, the soul play. The name cannot contain all of me, I am greater and more than I can begin to imagine. This is where I come back to the awareness of the divine, and my life’s essence, indeed in my mind there are no limitations, only in my created beliefs and thought patterns.
Just like Anita Moorjani, when she shared her NDE, she compared the restricted thinking she experienced whilst being in the body, with all the sorrow and expectations, but once she felt separated from the body, Anita was aware there were no limitations. She also had the feeling of being connected and in harmony with the Universe and everything. Anita had this realization of the greater capacity of the self and when she returned to her body she maintained this awareness and began to heal because of her spiritual awakening.
At the most basic level, we name things so we can think, share, and live together. Naming is a cognitive and social tool. Without names, everything gets blurred together: This person, vs that person, this object vs that object. A name lets us point to one specific thing in a crowded world.
Psychologically, unnamed things feel vague or threatening. Naming something makes it familiar, somehow we feel we have the measure of things that we name, this is because we think we understand and feel safer. But do we really know? Look at how fearful we become when we do not know someone or something?
How would our communication be without naming people and things? Naming allows a shared reference point to be used. For example, if I say “water” you know what I mean without me handing it to you. Language depends on names to transfer meaning between minds. Without names, a lot would collapse, learning, teaching, co-operation, communication. When one goes to a foreign country and they don’t speak the language, how difficult it is to get what you want … something as simple as water for example!
Names compress complexity. Instead of saying that tall guy with the grey beard whom we met earlier and lives by the river … you simply say George. Imagine if each time you had to explain and describe each item and person with a multitude of thoughts – how difficult that would be and time consuming!
If we stop to think about it we are shaped by words, and our name is no exception.
A body exists without a name.
A person begins with a name.
Even the soul has the name – soul.
Together the body and soul are known as a human being, yet another name.
Now we come to the most important part of this article, and that is identity. Names are given to humans and creatures to turn a body, a living organism, into a person in society. Some people are proud of their names, some are not, and that introduces the subject of karma. Names define us and separate us from others. They signal belonging to a family, tribe or culture. But at the end they are just names.
I am a soul, and so are you and the other one over there and there. With the growth in population names are given to exert order and control – it is a human’s way to organize chaos. So let’s not get stuck in the name, because names are just labels. The soul passes through many lifetimes, and therefore has acquired temporarily many names, but those names cannot define or limit the potentiality of the spiritual being.
Beyond the name, tribe and culture, there is a real soul who has travelled long, had a myriad of experiences and is coming with their whole self. The name is not simply enough to define the person. I have to have an open enough mind – an open door – to allow the whole of that person to enter into my world.
Making judgements does not help. Assuming someone could be something because of their name does not help us as a society. Religions should not separate beings based on the body, they should unite us. At a soul level we are all one spiritual family.
Looking below the layers, we see that each one is a beautiful soul. Full of virtues and powers – we have just forgotten. This is a return to the self, the real self, the soul. Once I arrive there, I will feel my fullness – no longer seeking or being needy.
It’s Time … to go beyond the names and labels and connect with each other at the level of the spirit.
© ‘It’s Time…’ by Aruna Ladva, BK Publications London, UK